Novo obesity drug could launch in U.S. end 2014

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COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk said it could launch obesity treatment liraglutide in the United States by the end of next year and rejected some analysts’ doubts over the medicine’s commercial potential.

The world’s biggest insulin producer is hoping the treatment for severe obesity will help to at least partly offset the delay to its next generation insulin treatment Tresiba after U.S. regulators asked for more tests.

Novo said on Thursday a final stage clinical trial showed patients treated with 3 mg of liraglutide - which is already on sale as a treatment for type-2 diabetes under the brand name Victoza - had an average 8 percent weight loss.

But some analysts on Friday questioned whether the results were strong enough to secure the drug’s success.

“The modest efficacy supports our hypothesis that the drug is unlikely to be a significant commercial success,” Deutsche Bank analysts said, adding they were also concerned by the high price of the injectable drug.

Liraglutide is expected to cost around $25 per day as a treatment for obesity and could be a lifelong treatment. That compares with about $5 per day for rival Belviq, made by Arena Pharmaceuticals, and Qsymia from Vivus.